Just under 3 weeks ago we arrived in Asia. We have spent all that time catching a train, jumping on buses, calling for a taxi or being screwed over by Tuk Tuk drivers. We have experienced city life in Thailand and enjoyed every minute of it. Even the times we have been screwed over can already be looked back on fondly.

Today, however, we hit what many believe traveling to be all about. Especially Soph. Today we left Krabi Town and arrived on the beach of Ao Nang. The first beach of many that we will encounter along our trip, but my goodness, it is a nice one.

We woke up this morning, packed our bags and ordered a taxi directly to our new hostel in Ao Nang. The taxi drivers in this part of the world seem about as familiar with the area as us, because again he had no idea where he was going. He had to call them up a few minutes in to the journey even though I had shown him the address of the hostel and even a map. We need to walk around with a bloody Sat Nav for these people.

The journey to Ao Nang is along a main road through tall cliffs and jungle terrain. I had a bit of a nightmare booking the room yesterday as the app kept showing the wrong location for all the hostels we were looking at. So when the driver pulled off the main road and down some dirt track, we both looked at each other with a pinch of panic. This was until a restaurant appeared. Followed by another, then another, and then before we knew it there was a McDonald’s on the horizon.

The hostel is smack bang in the middle of a long strip of bars, restaurants and small shops selling the same old stuff they do all over the country. And then, at the bottom of the road, the beach. A vision of paradise just to ourselves. Well, and the other 100s of people along the front. Perhaps it’s because we have longed for the beach so much that this one seems especially perfect. But it really is super nice. Or dreamy, as Soph likes to put it.

We found a spot for us to lay down on for a while and set up camp. We smothered ourselves in lotion and bathed in the sun for about half hour or so. Taking turns to have a swim in the sea so that no Thai local stole our bag. We would have stayed out there longer if it wasn’t for a sudden torrential downpour. It is a crazy feeling swimming in a warm sea while it rains down on you. One I am sure we will repeat at some point in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, even though we spent no longer than an hour in the Sun, we seem to have got ourselves a little sunburnt. Soph has a few red marks dotted around her body. I however seem to spark a close resemblance to this guy…

It was pretty bad. But I had a pretty nasty patch on my neck last week and got a way with it. As the day has gone on however, I now look almost identical to this guy…

Guess he has a more appropriate physique to myself too. I’m in a bad way basically. Not sure if I’m ever going to venture out again to be honest. May have to end the trip here for me. Soph will have to go on without me. At least I attempted it. And it all started so well. Should never have taken that shirt off.

We grabbed a little lunch and headed further up the beach to explore the town, T-shirts well and truly on now, before heading back to the hostel to apply, reapply, and then further apply a ton of after sun.

Soaked in aloe vera we went back into town for dinner. We decided to go for something a little different tonight by going for an Indian. Everything is a little more expensive down here so we have to be more careful with our budget. But we can always make room for a curry now and again.

After destroying a Madras and a veggie Korma (you can guess who had which) we took a stroll along the sea front. We’ve always been fans of the sea. We could watch for hours as the waves crash into the shore. But with the added extra of lightening on the horizon, it was a pretty awesome scene. Something to make you completely forget the madness of city life. Felt like a totally different country to that of Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

As it began to rain and the lightening grew closer we decided to come back to the hostel and reapply our after sun. So hopefully tomorrow we will wake up fully golden and looking more like Greek God’s than over cooked lobsters.

Thanks for following x